hide random home http://www.microsoft.com/usability/tour/default.htm (PC Press Internet CD, 03/1996)

Microsoft Usability
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Usability Home

Welcome to the Microsoft® Usability Group's virtual usability lab tour. Over the years we've learned a lot about usability testing. This experience is reflected in the design of our labs. So far, the usability labs have gone through three design generations, each time improving our ability to collect data about how people use software.

Our tour begins on this page with an overview of the labs, and continues with four more parts. Use the tour map below to go step by step, or blaze your own trail...

Warning! Some of these pages are graphics intensive (100-150k).
An Overview of the Labs
The Participant Side
The Observer Side
The Lab Equipment
A Typical Study


An Overview of the Labs

All of the labs are approximately the same size and contain the same equipment. Each lab is separated into two sections: the Observer side and the Participant side.

Here is an overhead view of what our labs look like. Click on an area to go directly to that area, or click on the link at the bottom of the page to go through a guided tour.

The two sections are separated by a sound-proof wall and a one-way mirror. A hallway connects the observer sides of all the labs. Sliding glass doors separate the observer side of the lab from the hallway. The hall, in addition to providing access to the labs, provides overflow space if there are too many observers.


An Overview of the Labs
The Participant Side
The Observer Side
The Lab Equipment
A Typical Study

Usability Home

Mail to: usable@microsoft.com; Last update: 2/23/96